Updated: N&P secures remote workers with strong authentication

Norwich and Peterborough Building Society (N&P) has begun Signify’s managed strong authentication service to provide its staff with secure remote access to email, intranet services and the Internet from home or other locations.

Computerworld UK reporter
September 18, 2007

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Norwich and Peterborough Building Society (N&P) has implemented Signify’s managed strong authentication service to provide its staff with secure remote access to email, intranet services and the Internet from home or other locations.

It is using the Signify authentication service is part of a group-wide virtual private network remote access system to improve services for staff and reduce telecoms, support and implementation costs.

Over 150 N&P employees are already using the service, including insurance brokers and surveyors working for Hockleys Professional, a subsidiary providing specialist property services including valuations, surveys and consultancy.

The N&P VPN servers are configured to communicate with Signify's Managed Authentication Service over encrypted Internet connections. Signify operates the resilient authentication infrastructure in multiple secure Internet datacentres, while N&P's administrators are able to manage every aspect of their service via the Signify Identity Management Centre (IMC) web portal.

"We can manage the set-up and day-to-day running of our authentication service, add new users and handle most issues, thanks to the powerful IMC," said Chris Cornish, N&P's group data security manager.

"In addition, Signify's 24/7 End User Helpdesk allows our staff to self-help themselves should they lose their token or forget their PIN any time of the day or night without contacting our IT service desk."

Signify’s IMC portal also allows group-wide security policies and control to be managed centrally while delegating routine operations to administrators in regional offices and subsidiaries. To ensure 100% availability, N&P has implemented twin fail-over VPN servers and the Signify service is configured to work against whichever system is active.

Stephen Mulley, N&P's head of IT, said the Signify authentication service was already delivering benefits to the group.

"We now have a secure, fault-resilient and easy-to-use remote working service that allows our group employees to work from home or other location. Signify's service was implemented rapidly with minimum disruption to our day-to-day activities and without having to maintain detailed technical expertise in-house.”